Ferdinand Kettler

Ferdinand Kettler (* November 2, 1655, † May 4, 1737 in Danzig) was 1730-1737 reigning Duke of Courland. He was the last Kettler, who was Duke of Courland. After his death the line died out.

Ferdinand Kettler was the youngest son of Duke Jacob Kettler (1610-1682) and Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg ( 1617-1676 ). He was since 1730 with Princess Johanna Magdalene of Saxe- Weissenfels (* March 17, 1708 in Weissenfels, † January 25, 1760 in Leipzig), daughter of Duke Johann Georg of Saxe- Weissenfels married. The marriage remained childless.

Ferdinand Kettler participated actively as a Polish lieutenant general at the Great Northern War, but went in 1700 under the pressure of the advancing Sweden to Gdansk, where he resided from now on. Because he now did not live in the area of his duchy of Courland, the knights initially failed to recognize him as Duke. He had initially against his nephew Friedrich Wilhelm Kettler (1692-1711) in the exercise of power in the cold, but declined after his death a return to Courland from. Since he was the last male representative of the Kettler dynasty, tried the surrounding powers to win the successorship. In addition to Prince Menshikov had initially Count Hermann Moritz of Saxony, son of Augustus II, King of Poland, a good chance. But Russia did not want to lose his influence and occupied the western Courland to drive Moritz, which it did. Ferdinand Kettler then ruled out of the Danziger exile until his death, whereupon Anna Ivanovna, widow of Friedrich Wilhelm Kettler, who had now ascended the Russian throne as Empress, prevailed that their favorite Ernst Johann von Biron Duke of Courland was.

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